The Kaguya clan rarely showed signs of peace, and even when they did, it was usually just a calm before the storm.
The clan leader, Kaguya Eiso, was standing inside a forbidden underground chamber.
The person beside him held a candle, standing inside a prison with three solid walls and one side made of iron bars.
Spell tags were stuck in patches across the heavy bars, clearly separating the inside from the outside.
The dark, damp underground space was filled with a strong earthy and moldy smell.
Big black rats, about the size of a fist, scurried around people's feet without any fear, squeaking as they ran back and forth.
The food trays were completely licked clean, not even a trace of grease left, and one tray had a chipped corner.
"Kimimaro, you're in there, aren't you?"
Kaguya Eiso's face twisted into a nearly uncontrollable grin, his excitement for war pounding inside his head.
They had hidden Kimimaro for years, treating him like a living weapon, all for this one moment—this chance to kill and destroy.
The candle behind him moved slightly forward, and a few white bones shot up from the ground, with a couple of dead rats still stuck on them.
There was a creepy face carved into the wall.
Beneath the shadows, a pair of pale curled-up toes peeked out.
A small, thin child was curled up in the corner, long white hair tied behind his head.
His skin was deathly pale, clearly from being locked away without sunlight for a long time.
Kimimaro raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sudden bright light, his green eyes squinting.
"Who is it?"
"Doesn't matter who. Come out."
The shadow of a key moved across the floor, and with a click, the iron bars slid open a little.
The light was too bright for Kimimaro to see clearly. He could only make out a blurry outline.
It was a man—much bigger and much older than him.
"Kimimaro, the time has come for us to use you."
"Fight for our Kaguya clan!"
A hungry and confident smile spread across Kaguya Eiso's face.
The others holding candles started whispering as they looked at Kimimaro.
They were both afraid of his strength and eager to see him in action.
Even though he was only four or five and had never really trained, he was already a powerful weapon.
"With this kid on our side, even Yagura won't stand a chance."
"Man, I'm jealous. Imagine being born a living weapon."
None of them showed the slightest fear of war or death, not even when Mizukage might come with the Anbu to wipe them out.
All they had on their faces was excitement for battle and glowing anticipation.
They craved blood and chaos from the bottom of their hearts.
Only through fighting could they feel truly alive, could they find what their lives meant.
Killing others, then being killed—it was the endless cycle they chased after, the proof they were really alive.
Kimimaro didn't fully understand why these people were so worked up, but it was the first time so many were paying attention to him.
He couldn't help but smile a little shyly.
Even though these people seemed kind of weird, it was the first time in years he felt like he had a purpose.
And that purpose—was to fight for his clan.
To be needed, to have a reason to exist, and to have others by his side.
These were the things Kimimaro, trapped in the dark for so long, had always wanted but could never reach.
To fight for the Kaguya clan—this thought briefly etched itself into Kimimaro's mind.
…
Anbu forces had already arrived and surrounded the Kaguya clan's territory completely.
Every corner was covered with people, and all the eyes behind those masks were fixed on the movements inside.
But inside the clan's grounds, everything still looked peaceful, like they had no idea a disaster was about to hit.
"Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
A few masked Anbu followed closely behind Yagura, holding up two fingers and speaking in low voices.
The air suddenly turned humid, and thick white mist quickly spread around them.
With the fog blending into the night, it became even harder to see anything clearly.
The flames next to the wooden houses in the Kaguya compound began to blur and fade in the mist.
Several figures darted across the tree branches, disappearing into the fog as leaves fell softly behind them.
Shadows flashed by, and in the next moment, the Anbu who had been hiding in the trees dropped down and rushed into the clan's territory.
*Clang!*
A deep, buzzing clash suddenly rang out in the thick mist.
A dark kunai clashed with a pale bone blade, and the masked Anbu quickly jumped back.
"We've lived in Kirigakure for years. Did you really think you could sneak past us like this?"
A pair of wide, intense eyes stared out from the mist, their expression almost twisted as they locked onto the Anbu's mask.
The Kaguya clan had known what was coming. Even though they acted calm, every one of them had been silently preparing and staying alert for any sudden movement.
The second the fog appeared and the Anbu made a move, both sides crashed into each other.
These people… were ready for this!?
You could tell the moment the fight started.
"Tch!"
The Anbu let out a low grunt of annoyance, dodged the incoming bone blade with a quick lean back, and threw his kunai with force.
But from this distance, dodging a thrown kunai was easy.
"Ahhh!"
A sudden scream rang out behind the man, followed by the sound of flesh being torn open again and again.
Blood sprayed out and soaked into the thick fog, staining it red and filling the air with a strong metallic smell.
There were clearly a lot of people already gathered in this part of the mist.
At this point, even a wild kunai throw was almost guaranteed to hit someone.
In chaos like this, even a slight hesitation could get you killed.
In the dense mist, enemies could pop out from anywhere, and sharp weapons could come slicing through the air at any moment.
"Where were you even aiming?"
Even when their allies were hit, they didn't show a trace of sympathy.
Without a second of hesitation, the man charged at the Anbu with his bone blade.
His ribs pushed out of his body, wrapping around him like armor until he looked like a pale, bone-covered ball.
The Kaguya clan's kekkei genkai gave them the power to control their bones—make them grow, make them harder.
But the human body only has about two hundred bones. Once they've used them up, that's it—so every time they fought, they fought like it was their last.
These people were all maniacs.
There was no easy way to break through a charging bone ball like that. The Anbu quickly formed hand signs, took a deep breath, and prepared to blow the enemy back.
Right then, a few pale blue water whips snapped out of the mist.
*Crack.* A sharp sound echoed as the man's smug grin froze on his face.
Thin cracks spread across the white bones.
And then, in the next moment, all of them shattered.
The whole person was shattered into pieces!
Karatachi Yagura looked down from above, watching the blood occasionally splatter from the thick mist, along with screams of pain.
There wasn't the slightest emotion in his purple eyes—he looked as calm as if he were just chopping vegetables.
Several Anbu stood silently on the nearby branches, their masks hiding any trace of emotion.
This massacre wouldn't take long.
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